Freaks and Weirdos
by TieMeDownToYourSoul
Summary: Who knew meeting at a playground could lead to such a disaster? Brittana/Faberry but mainly focuses on Rachel
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: For the sake of this story Shelby has been a part of Rachel's life from the beginning and she is friends with Brittany, Santana, and Quinn's moms.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, nor would I ever want to own it…too much stress.**

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><p><em><strong>I was told I was beautiful, but what does that mean to you?<strong>_

"Mommy, look at all the pretty flutter-bys!" A four-year-old Rachel Berry exclaimed, clasping onto her mother's hand as they walked throughout the small child park that sat in the dead center of little Lima, Ohio.

"They are pretty, huh?" Shelby chuckled as she bent herself at the waist and lifted her tiny daughter onto her hip and snuggled the girl into her chest, she was so blessed to have Rachel in her life. "Now, you remember what I told you about today."

Rachel pouted her lower lip and squirmed in Shelby's arms till the brunette mother set her child back on her feet and watched the dramatic toddler cross her arms over her chest and stomp her foot in determination to win the battle.

The four-year-old was definitely a product of Shelby, along with those big chocolate brown eyes and perfectly position Jewish nose came that flare of dramatics that seemed to come so naturally out of both brunettes.

"I don't wanna play games, Mommy! I wanna sing with you's and Daddy and Papá." Rachel whined as she softened her expression before grabbing a hold of her mother's hand and tilting her head all the way back to stare up at her. "No play dates!"

"Nuh-uh, my precious diva, you're not getting out of this play date. These girls have been wanting to play with for a long time and plus you know I wanna talk to their mommies." Shelby explained as she swung her daughter's hand with her own and watched Rachel frown.

"But what if they don't like me?" Rachel whispered sadly as she bowed her gaze and felt her stomach do a little flip flop like it usually did when she was nervous or even excited. "'member how Noah and Finn didn't like me? They said I talks too much."

"That's because their icky boys," Shelby replied with a small laugh.

Rachel brightened at the sound of her mother's laugh before she straightened her shoulders and raised her chin in pride, "I'll do it then cause I'ma be really nice and really quite. Then I'ma have new friends to show off to!"

The brunette mother chuckled and shook her head as she placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder and guided her towards three woman sitting at a picnic table with their bodies facing the playground where three little girls sat playing together in the sandbox.

As Shelby stopped beside the table the three women instantly began to happily greet her as they stood and hugged her, maneuvering their bodies around Rachel as the short brunette slid behind her mother's leg and shyly hid behind her.

"Oh this must be little Miss. Rachel," A tall blonde woman beamed as she leaned over at her torso to grin down at Rachel who only peeked around her mother's leg and gave the woman a small smile. "No need to be shy, sweetie, my name is Ms. Pierce."

"Hi," Rachel whispered.

All four women released coos at as they glanced down at the child before Shelby reached behind herself and set a hand on the back of Rachel's head to move her forward and once she did the four-year-old blinked a few times before glancing up at her mother.

"Rachel, these are Mommy's friends," Shelby explained before pointing to each one and allowing Rachel to give a good look at them and for them to stare back at her. "This is Ms. Lopez and Ms. Fabray, and over there are their daughters."

"Can I go play with them now?" Rachel questioned as she glanced up at her mother who only nodded and quickly the brunette released her mother's leg before racing off towards the chattering trio who paused as she approached them. "Hi, I'm Rachel."

A tall and bubbly looking blonde stood from the sand quickly and approached Rachel, "My name is Brittany and I like to dance. My favorite singer in the whole wide world is Brittany Spears cause we have the same name! I'm five!"

Rachel watched the blonde bounce beside her and the brunette diva dully noted the way Brittany's tiny jean shorts were covered in sand and her little white t-shirt had a small chocolate stain on the bottom where her belly button was.

"That's Santana Lopez, she's my bestest friend. We hold pinkies because holding hands is gross, San says people's hands get all nasty and wet." Brittany explained as she motioned towards a raven-haired girl who raised her eyes to Rachel and narrowed them.

The raven-haired girl gave Rachel a once over before her eyes finally softened and she jutted her chin up in greeting, her hands instantly going back to mold the sand castle she had been making as she sat in a pair of red basketball shorts and a white tank-top.

"And this is Quinn Fabray, she's kinda quiet but she's our friend too. She's only four-years-old, but her birthday is in nine days and our mommies said that your gonna go and swim with us." Brittany explained breathlessly before she bounced back to the sand and sat beside Santana.

The tiny brunette looked at the two girls and watched as Santana offered her pinkie to Brittany and quickly they were threaded together before they disappeared into their own little world as they whispered to each other and finally Rachel turned her eyes to Quinn.

The blonde was sitting in the corner of the box with her legs crossed Indian style and a pout on her face as she cupped her face in both hands and stared at Rachel with the same questioning eyes the brunette was giving her.

Slowly and cautiously, Rachel approached Quinn and lowered herself to sit beside her, minding her perfectly pressed white sundress that her fathers had picked out for her while Shelby had decided to braid her hair into pig-tails.

"Hi, I'm Rachel Berry." The diva smiled, extending her hand to Quinn who stared at it for a long moment before taking it in her own. "I like Barbara Streisand and my momma can sing really well, I like to sing too sometimes."

"I'm Quinn Fabray," The blonde girl blushed as she and Rachel sat still holding hands. "I like cheering cause that's what my big sister Franny does, I'ma be a Cheerio just like her when I get into school. I'ma be popular too!"

"I wanna be popular, but I don't wanna be a cheerleader." Rachel replied as she scrunched her nose up and shook her head from side to side. "My momma says that I can join a cool club that sings all the times, I'ma do that instead."

"Cool," Quinn nodded with a smile.

"We can be popular together, Quinn." Rachel suggested as she finally released the other girl's hand, busying herself with some sand. "I'll be the singer and you's can cheer for me, then you's can cheer and I'll sing for you's. It can be like a duet."

"What'dya mean a duet? What's a duet?" Quinn questioned.

"A duet is when two people's sing together, like Sonny and Cher." Rachel explained with a shrug as she hummed lightly and watched Quinn out of the corner of her eye and when the blonde stared at her for a long moment Rachel turned back to look at her. "Do you's know who Sonny and Cher are?"

"No," Quinn answered shortly as she frowned and cocked her head to the side before she furrowed her brow and watched Rachel stare at her. "I don't know who Barbara Streisand is either, so don't try and tell me about her."

Rachel gasped dramatically and pressed a hand to her chest, "Barbara Streisand is only the most amazing singer on the whole world! She can sing so good, it's my middle name and my momma gave it to me. And Sonny and Cher are boyfriend and girlfriend and they sing love songs!"

"Ewe, who wants a boyfriend?" Santana chirped from across the sandbox as she scrunched her nose up tight before sticking her tongue out in disgust as her eyes fell to Brittany. "Boys are so gross, my Papá says they have germs!"

"My Mommy says that boys only want one thing…" Brittany chirped before her eyes turned to Santana as she frowned and then shrugged. "But no one will tell me what it is. They just say that I'll find out sooner or later. But I don't like boys, their gross. I don't want a boyfriend."

"I don't ever want to have a boyfriend," Santana agreed.

Rachel turned to Quinn and looked at her before she turned her attention back to Santana and Brittany with a look of wonder, "Don't you's wanna get married and have lots of babies? That's my daddies say about boys."

"Daddies? As in two?" Santana repeated with a disgusted expression as she looked at Rachel and narrowed her eyes again. "I knew you were weird, but my Mama said I had to hang out with you anyway. How comes you have a momma then?"

"Cause my daddies and momma say I'm special, I like having two daddies." Rachel argued as her eyes burned with unshed tears before she glanced at Quinn. "I'm not weird, I promise. I don't wanna be hated by you's guys too."

"You're a weirdo, Rachel!" Santana exclaimed as she threw her sand at the tiny girl.

"I am not a weirdo!" Rachel replied as the tears let loose and poured down her cheeks, the brunette girl stood up and clinched her fists at her side and Santana followed her, mirroring her position. "You're a meanie, Santana!"

"Yeah, well, you're a freak!"

The minute the word left Santana's mouth Rachel's face crumpled as tears came more frequently and her chest felt like it was twisting. With a small whimper Rachel scrambled out of the sandbox and towards the laughing adults.

"Mommy!" Rachel sobbed loudly, running towards Shelby with both her arms outstretched.

The brunette mother whirled around in alarm as she heard her daughter's voice and fear coursed through her body when she caught sight of Rachel's tears, she hated seeing her daughter cry and the look on her face was breaking Shelby's heart.

"Baby, what's the matter?" Shelby demanded as she stood quickly and gathered Rachel in her arms, the brunette girl crying into Shelby's neck as she clung to the smooth material of her mother's blouse. "Shh, tell me what's wrong."

"S-Santana c-called me a f-freak." Rachel whimpered, her voice muffled but loud enough that Ms. Lopez heard and in an instant the mother was up and moving towards Santana with a scowl on her face. "S-she said I was a w-weirdo f-for having t-two daddies and a m-momma."

"Oh, baby, you are not a freak or a weirdo." Shelby cooed, standing and allowing Rachel to wrap herself around her as she rubbed her daughter's back in comfort. "Your special, Rachel. Our family is different, but its very special."

As Rachel sniffled Shelby felt a tug on her dress and she glanced down to see a short blonde staring up at her with piercing hazel eyes, "Can I talk to Rachel?"

Shelby glanced down to her daughter as if to ask for permeation and the four-year-old only raised her head before gazing down at the other girl, nodding slightly as she squirmed free of her mother's hold and slid down to stand beside Quinn.

For a moment Quinn stared at her and Rachel gave her a watery smile, but the other girl simply furrowed her brow before reaching up with her hand and wiping a tear off of Rachel's puffy cheek, smiling as the brunette blushed lightly.

"I don't think you're a weirdo or a freak, Rachel." Quinn admitted softly as she rocked on the heels of her feet, her hands falling to cross behind her back as she nervously kicked at the grass. "I think you're kinda pretty."

"Really?" Rachel sniffled.

"Uh-huh, you have extra pretty eyes and I think your hands are really soft." Quinn murmured with a hint of embarrassment in her tone, but her small hand dropped to her side before reaching out and taking Rachel's palm in her own.

"I think your hands are really soft too, Quinn." Rachel giggled before she glanced back at Shelby and gave her mother a warm smile which Shelby instantly returned. "Mommy, can I go play with Quinn in the sandbox?"

"Of course you can, darling." Shelby laughed before watching as her child squealed and raced off with Quinn's hand still tightly locked in her eyes, chuckling the brunette mother lowered herself to the picnic table and glanced at Judy Fabray. "You do realize this is a start of something, right?"

"I can only imagine," Judy smiled.


	2. Quinn

**A/N: Well, I got some really nice reviews for Freaks and Weirdos and I figured I was gonna make it a one-shot series, so enjoy!**

**A/N 2: For the sake of this story, once again, Shelby has been a part of Rachel's life from the beginning and Russell isn't going to be a homophobic jerk…and no Beth.**

**Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.**

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><p>"<em><strong>You do realize this is a start of something, right?"<strong>_

"_**I can only imagine," Judy smiled.**_

Judy Fabray shook her head as she ran a towel over the counter top and watched her daughter laying in the living room with Rachel Berry perched in her lap as the two girls stared at the screen and fed each other popcorn.

Her little Quinnie wasn't so little anymore, in two weeks Quinn Celeste Fabray would be a freshman at McKinley High. The blonde had already signed up for Cheerios and was a shoe in for being head Cheerio with Brittany and Santana at her sides, but Rachel had gone the opposite way and had set her sights on being captain of Glee club.

Quinn had been furious when Rachel had announced it at one of the Berry-Fabray weekly dinners, her daughter had glared at Rachel and stormed away from the table. It was obvious Quinn had other ideas for her best friend; everyone knew the head Cheerio couldn't possibly every converse with the captain of the Gleeks.

Judy prayed that Quinn wouldn't abandon Rachel; the two girls had been inseparable since the age of four. They had been a team with Brittany and Santana, after that fateful day in the park Judy found herself seeing Shelby more than ever. If Rachel wasn't spending the night at Quinn's then Quinn was usually making her way over to the Berry household to play dress up with Rachel.

They had grown up together.

"Mom, did you hear me?" Quinn called from behind her and Judy shook her head to clear her thoughts before cocking her head in confusion as she faced her thirteen-year-old daughter who was extending a white bowl to her. "We're out of popcorn, can you make us some more?"

Judy smiled at her daughter before accepting the bowl and grabbing the necessary items for the butter less popcorn she always found herself making for Rachel and Quinn. While Quinn would have preferred to have the stuff dripping with butter she knew Rachel was a vegan and she respected that.

"Are you two watching Funny Girl again?" Judy questioned with a raised eyebrow, throwing a bag in the microwave and pressing the buttons.

"Surprisingly no, Rach actually allowed us to watch something different." Quinn chuckled, tossing a small smile over her shoulder as she caught sight of her best friend who was spread lazily across the couch with her white tank-top riding up her stomach. "Today she actually allowed me to pick out a movie, we're watching Toy Story."

"Yeah?" Judy chuckled.

"Quinnie-Pooh, can you get me a glass of water? I'm absolutely parched." Rachel sighed from the living room as she rolled herself to her knees so she could rest against the back of the couch and stare into the kitchen.

"Of course, Rachey." Quinn replied with a shake of her head.

Quinnie-Pooh. That nickname had been given to Quinn by Rachel and it was only to be said by Rachel, Santana had tried it out for fun one summer and Quinn had to be yanked off the Latina. Sometimes Judy would use it just to annoy her daughter, but even then it didn't sound right to anyone's ears; it only made since when it fell from Rachel's lips.

As the timer beeped on the microwave, Judy pulled herself from her thoughts and busied herself with preparing the bowl of treats. She added the salt and a sprinkle of sugar (just for Quinn) before extending it to her daughter who took it gratefully and disappeared back into the living room.

With an amused smile, Judy absently finished wiping up the counter top as she glanced at Quinn who had plopped herself back on the comfy couch and had drug Rachel into her lap, the brunette instantly snuggling into her best friend as the movie started up again and they vanished into their world of make believe.

**Six months into Quinn and Rachel's freshman year…**

"I can't believe we survived a whole six and a half months in high school!" Brittany squealed as she bounced behind Quinn, her pinkie interlocked with Santana's as they breezed throughout the hallways. "I mean, even the Cheerios are impressed with how long we've lasted. We're gonna be so cool, just like we always planned to be!"

Quinn gave a half-smile as she looked at her best friends walking behind her, the three of them were donned in red and white uniforms with their hair yanked back in tight ponytails and tied with a red ribbon. Quinn could feel the power seeping into her bones as students parted while she walked along the white halls and glared at anyone who dared look her way.

She loved the power, the rush of fear that seemed to bounce off frightened students who had once been friends with Quinn. But the blonde had given it all up, she had finally found her notch…she was finally popular and was not planning to give it up. She had even managed to befriend the head Cheerio who had assured Quinn that once she had departed Quinn would be the ruler of McKinley.

"Ooh, look there's Rachel! Let's go say hi, she looks so pretty today!" Brittany chirped and Quinn shook her head to clear her thoughts before her eyes landed on the brunette at the end of the hallway.

A slow smile slid across her pink lips as she scanned her best friend over, the brunette was wearing her traditional wear…short (should be illegal) sky blue plaid skirt, white button up shirt, sky blue knee high socks and Mary Janes. Rachel Berry hadn't changed one bit, the girl had stayed true to her heart and Quinn adored that about her.

Suddenly, as Quinn went to move toward the said brunette she was stopped by cold green eyes and a tight smirk on plump lips…Lydia Mason. The senior was head Cheerio, HBIC, and she had made Quinn who she was today. But the raven-haired girl had also been cold and frigid; the student body was absolutely terrified of the girl.

"Hi," Quinn whispered as she lowered her eyes, afraid to make eye contact.

"Hello Quinnie, I see you've spotted McKinley's loser." Lydia smirked as she glanced over her shoulder, scanning Rachel over with a narrowed eyed expression. "Those skirts make her look like a toddler; somebody needs to put that freak in her place."

"Hey, that _freak _is our best friend and no one gets to call her a freak except me." Santana snapped as she glared at the captain, no matter who it was Santana didn't fear a single person and when it came to someone messing with her friends…it wasn't pretty.

"Look, Lopez, I don't give a shit who your best friend is." Lydia snarled as she looked back at Quinn and her lips twisted into a smile that caused the short blonde to quiver with worry. "Plus, I know for a fact that Quinnie wants her popularity to sky rocket and I have just the job for her to do. If she wants to be on top then she won't have a problem with it."

"What is it?" Quinn asked curiously as she raised her eyes finally.

Lydia glanced down at the cold beverage in her hand and then back at Rachel, "Here at McKinley we have a thing called slushie facials. You find a loser and you deliver it to them…straight in the face. Every single Cheerio has a victim and I want Berry to be yours. Her being your best friend…well, that's just a plus for me."

"W-what? I can't throw that at her!" Quinn exclaimed breathlessly as she looked at her captain who only gave her a look of surprise. "She's my best friend, I've known her since I was four-years-old! Our parents are practically inseparable!"

"Look, Fabray, you're either on top or your not." Lydia snapped as she lowered her head so her nose was practically brushing with Quinn's causing the younger girl to scramble back into Santana and Brittany who only steadied her before looking back at Lydia. "If you want to go on your way and be gay with Berry, fine by me. I'll just find another Cheerio who isn't such a pussy."

"Quinn's not gonna do it, she loves Rachel." Brittany argued with a look of innocence swimming throughout her blue orbs.

Lydia's eyes sparked with fire at the words before she narrowed them at Quinn who only glanced once at her captain and then at Rachel before she accepted the slushie cup, "Okay. I'll slushie her, but this better give me a place up top or your dead."

"Quinn! You can't be serious, you can't be that big of a bitch!" Santana gasped as she looked at her friend with wide eyes, this was Rachel Berry they were talking about.

Rachel and Santana had started off on a rough path, but soon the two brunettes had become practically sisters. Santana had always stood up for Rachel; she had taken down countless boys in countless parks just so the small diva was safe. But Santana had never imagined in a million years that she would be protecting Rachel against Quinn.

"I have to San," Quinn gulped.

"But she's our friend, Quinn. She's your best friend." Brittany stressed, but quickly Quinn shook her head and marched forward causing Santana and Brittany to trade looks before they shouldered past a laughing Lydia and trailed Quinn.

"Hey Rach," Quinn sweetly smiled as she approached the small girl.

"Quinn, hello! How are you today?" Rachel beamed as she spun around to face her friend, but instead of seeing beautiful hazel eyes and to die for blonde hair the brunette was met with a face full of cold ice that caused a loud scream of pain to rip from her mouth.

"Oh God…" Quinn whispered.

Laughter coursed throughout her ears as Quinn stood shell-shocked in the hallway of McKinley High, in her hand she held a now empty slushie cup and just a few inches in front of her stood her best friend dripping with red slush. Rachel's pretty white button up shirt was now seeping with the liquid and Quinn could see the sky blue bra clear as day.

Beside her, Brittany and Santana wore wide eyed expressions before Brittany frowned and stepped forward. Quinn could only watch as the blonde Cheerio grabbed a hold of Rachel's arm and hauled her off towards the bathroom, shoving through the throngs of kids who were only openly jeering at Rachel as the brunette sobbed.

"That was really, really low. I can't believe you would even think slushing our best friend was okay. That was just…I'm so not impressed, Q." Santana hissed before she glared once more at Quinn and with a swish of her Cheerio's skirt she was following the sticky trail leading towards Rachel and Brittany.

"Congrats, Quinn, you just made yourself my number one choice for captain of the Cheerios." Lydia smirked as she walked to stand beside the frozen blonde who only gave her a look of horror before she dropped the cup and chased after Rachel.

The blonde tore throughout the hallways before she finally found the red sticky trail that stopped right at the locker room. Quinn could hear Rachel's pained sobs through the thick wood door and with a gulp of air she shoved the door open and took in the sight before her; there her best friend sat with Santana kneeling before her and wiping her face while Brittany ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to sooth her.

"Rachel, oh God, Rachel I'm so sorry." Quinn whispered as she moved forward and her heart gave a beat of pain when the brunette gasped through her tears and shot off the bench, inching herself behind Santana who stood before her protectively.

"What the hell do you want, Quinn? Haven't you done enough for today or did Lydia order you around again? I mean, after all, you are her bitch now." Santana hissed and Quinn winced at the venom coming from her tone.

"I didn't have a choice, I need to be popular. Fanny was popular and I just can't not be, it's not who the Fabray's are. I come from a line of head cheerleaders and quarterbacks and prom queens." Quinn snapped as she clenched her fists at her sides. "Do you really think I can give that up for someone who insists on being a loser?"

Brittany shot the taller blonde a disappointed look before she patted Rachel on the head and stepped forward, "I'm quitting the Cheerios today. I can't keep doing this, it's only been six months and I'm already miserable. I thought it would be fun, I love to dance but I don't like seeing people cry. Especially when those people are Rae."

"You can't just quit the Cheerios, Britt. Give it time, it's only been a few months." Quinn sighed as she ran a hand over her face before clearing her throat. "Rachel, look, I'm sorry but I don't have a choice. We can still be friends, right?"

"No."

Quinn felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach, she physically stumbled backward as tears gathered in her eyes and she stared at the one girl who made her heart feel as if it was jumping out of her chest. Her best friend was standing before her saying that they weren't…best friends. Ten years of friendship thrown away because of one stupid slushie.

"W-what?"

"I can't be friends with you anymore, Quinn." Rachel explained in a quite voice, Santana already sliding up behind the short girl to wrap a comforting arm over her shoulders. "Do you know it's been a month since you've texted me? And we stopped having our Berry-Fabray dinners three months ago, did you notice that? Yeah, and our moms hang out every weekend in privacy because they don't want us to know."

"I've been…"

"…busy, yeah believe me I know that." Rachel scoffed as she looked down, Quinn could see the brunette was attempting to fight the tears that had built up. "You've been too busy to call, you've been too busy to text, you've been too busy to shop, hang out, spend the night, come over for dinner…you've even been too busy to be there for my birthday."

Quinn's head snapped up as she looked at her three best friends, Santana was giving her a pissed off look and Brittany's face was full of disappointment and a touch of anger. But seeing Rachel so broken, her face stained by a cheery slushie and tears…it broke Quinn's heart. She had caused this pain; she had been the one to upset Rachel.

"Lydia called a mandatory meeting for me, we were going through drills and stuff." Quinn argued, but she could tell that Rachel wasn't buying any of it. "I've been busy, jeez, get off my back!"

"Don't worry, Quinn, you don't have to make excuses anymore because I'm done." Rachel murmured as she threw down the white towel she had been clutching in her fists, instead grabbing a hold of her bag and tossing it over her shoulder. "When I walk out that door I'm done. I used to think that you'd come back, I convinced myself that this was just a phase, but it's not. Your you and it's time I get to be me."

"Rachel…"

"No, really, Quinn I understand." Rachel assured her as she brushed past Quinn and paused silently at the door, the brunette glanced over her shoulder and gave Quinn one last tearful look before bowing her head and sighing. "Goodbye Quinn."

With that, Quinn watched as Rachel Berry breezed her way out of her life.

It had been almost two years since that day in the locker room and Quinn hadn't spoken directly to Rachel Berry since. Judy and Shelby still hung out every day, but when Quinn came home from practice Shelby would say her goodbyes and ignore Quinn as she walked out the door…even her mother and father were disappointed in her.

Brittany had been true to her word and had quit the Cheerios the next day, Santana following closely behind her as they both threw their uniforms at Lydia and locked pinkies before walking out of Quinn's life and following in Rachel's footsteps. Rachel, Brittany, and Santana were the nerds of McKinley and were the captains of Glee club.

Slushie facials were given to them daily and after every splash Quinn would watch as the three girls sought each other out before vanishing into locker rooms. It pained Quinn, she was jealous at how lucky they all were to have each other.

Quinn had been crowned with head Cheerio her sophomore year, but it was so lonely at the top. Sure, she was dating the quarterback but Finn Hudson was as smart as a pile of rocks and all he wanted to do was make out with her. She was miserable, she didn't have any friends, and she just wanted to go back and erase that horrible first slushie facial.

But today Quinn was doing something different, Quinn was going to get her best friends back if it was the last thing she ever did. She was a top, she ruled McKinley so no one was going to question her. She missed Santana's smart ass comments and Brittany's hugs; she missed Friday night slumber parties, and Sunday nights of texting till midnight.

But mostly Quinn missed Rachel.

She missed the brunette's long rants about nonsense, she missed Rachel's dark brown eyes staring into hers and seeking out all the secrets hidden there, she missed the feel of Rachel's skin under her finger tips when they were snuggling, and the feel of warmth as they hugged…she just missed Rachel period.

Now, standing before the glee club with Mr. Schue introducing her as the newest member Quinn felt awkward and uncomfortable. It was obvious everyone was suspicious of her arrival; they probably believed she was a mole for Coach Sylvester. But the only three unsuspicious faces sat in the front, two of the faces were angry and one face was in disbelief.

"Guys, you know that we accept all new members so Quinn joining isn't up for discussing." Mr. Schue scolded as he smiled wearily at the cheerleader, Quinn only giving him a half-hearted look before turning her gaze back to the front.

"Yeah, guys, Quinn likes to sing." Finn piped up as he shot his girlfriend an encouraging look that went unnoticed.

"So she likes to sing?" A well dressed, pixie sized boy sitting up front scoffed and Quinn quickly pinned him with a glare causing the boy to shrink back before straightening his shoulders. "As I was saying, she likes to sing but can she actually sing well?"

"I'm sure she can, Kurt." Mr. Schue waved with a sigh.

"No, I can see what he's getting at and it's only fair I audition for this club." Quinn assured him and Mr. Schue flashed his class a surprised look before giving her a nod.

"Okay, Quinn, if you want to audition then the floor is all yours." Mr. Schue nodded before stepping back and yanking a stool out from the side, plopping himself beside the piano as the blonde Cheerio walked to the pianist and conversed quietly with him.

The soft beat of the drums kicked up and the guitar followed before their pianist, Brad, looked to Quinn before starting in on a soft melody. The Cheerio ran her hand over the black grand piano before tapping her foot along to the beat and raising her hazel orbs to the group, everyone was staring back at her with eager eyes.

"I asked her to stay, but she wouldn't listen, she left before I had the chance to say. The words that we meant, the things that were broken. But now its far too late she's gone away. Every night you cry yourself, thinking why does this happen to me. Why does every moment have to be so hard? I do believe that…"

Quinn could see that Rachel knew this song was directed to her, the brunette's eyes widened for a split second before her face turned to its neutral position. With a sigh, Quinn turned her eyes to Brittany who only looked at her for a long minute before bowing her head and finally Quinn turned to Santana and shivered as the Latina looked back at her head on.

The blonde held the note briefly, her gaze wondering over her new club and she wasn't surprised to see them staring at her with dropped jaws and wide eyes. Quinn knew she could sing, hello she was best friends with Rachel Berry once upon a time, but she also knew that everyone couldn't see past the red uniform and the tight ponytail.

"It's not over tonight, just give me one more chance to make it right. I may not make it through the night, I won't go home without you…"

Quinn was making her statement, she wasn't going anywhere without her friends; she had made her bed and she had laid in it but Quinn was ready to get back up. She wanted to make peace with her girls; she missed the laughter and friendship that had once been there. She had never realized that having so much silence makes things ten times louder.

Her thoughts were constantly swirling and her eyes were always seeking out Rachel, Santana, and Brittany in hopes of catching a single glimpse. It was all she had of them, aside from the few times she actually caught up with their moms and even then it was sort of hostile.

"The taste of her breathe, I'll never get over. The noises that she made kept me awake; the weight of the things that remain unspoken, built up so much it crushed us everyday. Every night you cry yourself to sleep, thinking why does this happen to me. Why does every moment have to be so hard? I do believe that…"

Rachel shook her head slightly and leaned over to whisper something to Santana who in turn passed it on to Brittany and Quinn stared back at them with longing eyes. She wanted to know what they were saying, she had lost the ability to read the emotions in their eyes, and the three girls had become so guarded and had managed to hide what they felt.

Especially Rachel.

"It's not over tonight, just give me one more chance to make it right. I may not make it through the night, I won't go home without you. It's not over tonight, just give me one more chance to make it right. I may not make it through the night, I won't go home without you…"

Quinn had kept a close eye on the brunette and observed every movement made by her…in a way it was sort of creepy. But for two years she watched as Rachel changed from a strong and loud diva to a quite but stubborn girl, Quinn had torn out the spark behind brown orbs. She had caused Rachel, a star that used to shine so bright, to dim.

"Of all the things I said but never really showed, perhaps the worst is that I never let you go. I should not ever let you go. It's not over tonight, just give me one more chance to make it right. I may not make it through the night, I won't go home without you…"

Quinn finished the song with a slight frown on her face, but quickly snapped from the sour mood as loud applause rang throughout the air. It was satisfying, but as everyone climbed to their feet Rachel, Santana, and Brittany stayed seated and politely clapped, well Brittany and Rachel clapped while Santana sat there pouting.

"Okay, well, I for one think that was all the acceptance you need." Mr. Schue chuckled as he stood and set both hands on Quinn's shoulders, smiling down at the girl and ushering her towards the seats where Finn quickly scooped her up and hugged her tight.

Quinn smiled halfway before plopping beside her boyfriend and frowning at the floor, Mr. Schue droned on for a few minutes and Quinn chose to ignore the talk. Instead she played her performance over in her head and tried to figure out how it didn't send Rachel flying into her arms. She had just serenaded the brunette and now nothing…not a single response_._


	3. Santana

**A/N: Sorry for the angst in the last chapter, but it's all gonna get cleared up soon. This story is AU, if you didn't notice, and I have no idea on where this is gonna go…**

**Disclaimer: Me + Glee = Nothing.**

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><p>"So she thinks its okay to just go ahead and serenade us?" Santana scoffed as she paced the length of Rachel's living room, her fists clinched at her sides and her eyes narrowed. "After what she put us through, I mean we haven't even talked to her in two years! Why does she just have to appear in our lives and mess them up again?"<p>

Lydia Lopez watched her daughter in amusement; she had joined Santana when the Latina had announced she was going to Rachel's for the night. At the moment, she and Shelby were sitting at the table sipping tea and watching as their daughters discussed the events of school.

The older Latina narrowed her eyes as she observed her youngest child; Santana had been such a fireball. Raising her had been anything but easy; she was constantly getting into things and always in everyone's business. There were times when Lydia questioned herself on why she put up with the girl, but all it took was one look from Santana and it was alright.

Lydia wasn't going to lie; she had been disappointed when Santana had quit the Cheerios but after finding out why she did it…Lydia had never been more proud. Quinn had always been so touchy about her image and she knew that her daughter had always been fine with being who she was, that was why she got along with Rachel so well.

The two brunettes had started out in a bad spot; they constantly bantered when they were younger but as the years passed Lydia and Shelby watched in shock as the two became partners in crime. Santana had taught Rachel everything she knew, from stealing cookies to flirting with a boy in one simple glance. And Rachel had calmed Santana down enough to help the Latina with her grades.

"She seemed so genuine about it, San." Brittany whispered and Lydia glanced to her daughter's girlfriend and watched as the blonde sat with her legs crossed Indian style, her hand running through the soft carpet of the room.

"I know, B." Santana sighed.

Lydia gave a soft smile at the way her daughter's face absolutely melted at the sight of Brittany; she had always known the two would end up together. Brittany was the good in Santana; the ditzy blonde had her daughter wrapped so tightly around her finger. They balanced each other out and protected one another when times got rough.

"Britt-Britt has a point, Sunny." Rachel murmured as she glanced up from her math homework, her eyes flickering over the faces in the room. "Quinn has spent two years being friendless, we've always had each other and she has no one. We can't just push her away because she made a mistake, we can't keep holding a grudge."

"She threw a fucking slushie in your face, Rae!"

"Language, Santana Maria Lopez!" Lydia snapped and instantly her daughter's cheeks flushed before she waved a hand in dismissal and turned back to her best friends, rolling her eyes Lydia traded a smile with Shelby before taking another long drink of her tea.

"While I agree that was a horrible event, I can't keep hating her." Rachel whispered and Lydia watched as Rachel's brown eyes darkened before she shrugged lightly. "You know how I feel about her, Sunny. I wanna give her another chance."

In a split second Lydia could see Santana caving under Rachel's words, the brunette had always been easy on the eyes and Santana had never been strong enough to fight them. Lydia knew she could trust her daughter to do the right thing, with or without Rachel's puppy eyes being involved. She knew Santana missed Quinn just as much as Quinn missed her.

One job.

For ten years they had each had one job; it was an easy split between the four of them and they had always trusted themselves to know they did as they were told. From that moment in the sandbox until the beginning of McKinley high school the four of them had an unbreakable bond…well, Santana had always believed it was unbreakable.

She had always been the one to protect and defend…she was the strength. Whenever one of her girls were in trouble she was always right there to protect them, while others viewed her as a cruel and frigid girl her three best friends knew she was a softie and cared about the people around her. Hence the reason her nickname was Sunny.

Then came Brittany, _her _Brittany, she had always been the mother figure to the three other girls. Whenever one of them were sad or lonely then they would seek out Brittany's arms, the tall blonde gave the best snuggles imaginable. On top of that was her sweet smiles and words, Brittany was always able to soothe away any fears or worries you had.

People had constantly judged Brittany, always saying that she was too dumb or the things she said didn't make sense but Santana knew her girlfriend just had a different way of looking at the world…a better way of looking at the world. There were times when the Latina wished she could see the amazing sight Brittany was able to find in every bad situation.

Following close behind Brittany was Rachel, she was the ring leader whether Santana admitted it or not. Since the moment in that sandbox it was obvious Rachel Berry was the ruler of all four of them, she made the final decisions and always trusted her girls to follow close behind, which they did. No matter what she said or did the other three were slowly trailing her.

But Santana had always known that this world was just too small for Rachel, she had made it her job to protect the smaller brunette from all the dangers and reality of Lima. While Rachel chose to take each insult without a single bat of her eyelashes, Santana and Brittany both knew how much it killed the girl to have people judge her.

But deep down every one knew that one day Rachel was going to make something out of herself, one day her face and name were going to be plastered all over New York and all the people who had ever bullied the small diva were going to wish they could take it back.

When their group had been four Quinn was the mesh of it all; she was the momma bear, the snuggler, and the leader all in one. But when that slushie had hit Rachel, the other three girls had slowly peeled away from the Cheerio and had taken on her jobs. They had learned to make do without her, as hard as it was, but they learned.

They learned how to accept that only person was in the middle at every slumber party, they learned to adjust to only ordering three seats at BreadStix instead of four, they learned how to juggle weekends when Brittany and Santana wanted girlfriend time, and the certainty learned how to make each day at McKinley high not seem so bad.

"I miss Quinn," Brittany murmured; somewhere along the way they had relocated to Rachel's room and they were all laying on the brunette's bed, Santana laying in the middle with Brittany on her chest and Rachel on her stomach.

"I do too, Britt-Britt." Rachel admitted.

Santana sighed heavily before running her fingers through Brittany's hair and closing her eyes, she didn't need to voice how she felt about Quinn being gone. She didn't have to speak those words out loud to make sure her girls knew; it was obvious from the way she acted. As much as she hated the blonde for abounding them she missed her just as much.

"Well, where do we go from here? Do we take her back or do we just let it roll off our shoulders again? I don't want to be hurt again." Rachel whispered as she snuggled further into Santana and the Latina glanced down at the brunette head and gave a slight smile.

"I don't know, Rae, but for right now we have each other and that's all that matters." Santana voiced as she bit her lower lip and allowed her eyes to flutter back closed. "We'll figure this Quinn stuff out later, is that okay?"

"Yeah," Brittany and Rachel sighed.

For now.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry this one is so short, I'm not good at writing in Santana's POV at all. Next will be Brittany and Brittany's mother, then we'll get to the real story(:**

**Review!**


	4. Brittany

Sarah Pierce frowned as she heard the familiar sounds of whimpering coming from down the hallway, setting her files away the mother stood and moved her glasses to rest on the top of her head as she pitter-pattered her way towards the source of the noise.

A quiet creak echoed throughout the house as Sarah pushed open Brittany's door, she could make out the shape of her daughter thrashing from side to side in the middle of her pink queen sized bed. With a sigh, Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and carefully walked over to Brittany's bed so she could sit on the edge by her head.

"Brittany, sweetie, wake up." Sarah whispered as she touched the teen's face, tapping her cheek lightly, but Brittany just gave another snore and rolled away causing Sarah to smile.

For as long as Sarah Pierce could remember her daughter had always been different; at the age of one Brittany was convinced she was a chicken and Sarah was constantly chasing the blonde girl around the house and trying to get her to stop clucking and when she had started up kindergarten Sarah had to explain that eating paste wasn't like eating marshmallow cream.

Brittany was different and Sarah knew that, she _loved _that. Because behind all those awkward and random comments was a heart made of gold, her daughter was anything but rude. Sarah was a proud mother, she loved all three of her children, but Brittany had always been her absolute star. Everything the little ditzy girl did was beautiful to Sarah.

"Brittany, honey, your having a nightmare." Sarah explained as she set a hand on Brittany's shoulder and gave it a small shake.

This time Brittany gasped and shot up in her bed with wide eyes and blonde hair plastered to her sweaty face, without a single thought Sarah gathered her child into her arms and frowned as her neck became wet with hot trials of tears. It was so rare to see Brittany crying, but Sarah knew if tears came from those baby blue eyes that it was bad.

"Shh, baby, don't cry. Mama's got you." Sarah cooed as she scooted further on the bed so Brittany could scramble into her lap and once she did Sarah ran calming fingers through thick blonde tresses and attempted to sooth the tears. "Shh, what's the matter, jitterbug? You never cry, can you at least tell Mama what's bugging you?"

"Quinn…"

Sarah closed her eyes at the name of Brittany's ex-best friend; the two blondes had been so close until that fateful day in the hallway. Sarah had been kept contact with Judy, both women attempting to at least get their daughters to make peace but Brittany said she was remaining loyal to Rachel and Santana while Quinn only scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Quinn? But you haven't spoken to her since freshman ye…wait, is this about the song she sang to you and the other girls during glee?" Sarah questioned and when she felt Brittany nod against her shoulder she released a small breathe and chuckled. "Oh honey, I talked to Judy about that and she said that Quinn was so upset about you guys not saying anything to her afterwards. Quinn was only trying to apologize to the three of you."

"She could've just said the words, we didn't need to be sung to." Brittany grumbled as she pulled away from her mother and rolled off her lap, successfully dragging the covers back over her form so she was curled into a ball of sheets. "She's a meanie and she was so hard on Rach in our ninth year, Rae just now started walking through the halls without flinching. She caused her so much pain, Mom! Quinn was supposed to be our best friend; we were supposed to all grow old together. It was supposed to be Brittana and Faberry forever."

"Brittana and Faberry?" Sarah repeated with a furrowed brow.

"Brittany and Santana, Fabray and Berry." Brittany explained with a wave of her hand before she pouted her lower lip and huffed lightly, it was amazing how alike she and Rachel could be. "But then Quinn had to go and be a jerk, Rachel says that she loved Quinn so much. Quinn even kissed Rachel the day before our freshman year! How mean is that?"

"I agree with you, honey, what Quinn did was very wrong but it was two years ago." Sarah reminded the child, glancing down to see Brittany staring up at her with red, tired eyes. "You just need to let some things go, Quinn was young and stupid. You've made dumb decisions, like jumping out of that tree or pushing Rachel down that hill when we went camping."

"Yeah, but I jumped out of that tree because I can fly." Brittany reminded her mother with a serious face and Sarah nodded, she had learned over the years that arguing with Brittany about those things was like arguing with a deaf man. "And I didn't mean to push Rae down that hill, we were having a shoving war and I won."

Sarah rolled her eyes at that, yes Brittany had won and in the end Rachel had to be taken to the hospital because she broke her ankle, two fingers, had a black eye, and a slight concussion…she was a mess, but Brittany had stayed by her side through it all and Santana had been there to beat up anyone who tried to steal Rachel's crutches.

"Britt, we're losing the conversation here." Sarah reminded her daughter as she reached out and brushed a stray tear from her daughter's pale cheek. "All that I'm trying to say is that you should forgive Quinn, you don't have to jump into being best friends with her but I think you should at least give her a chance to make up for the things that she did. Everyone has their bad days, Brittany, and everybody gets hurt at one time. I know Quinn hurt Rachel, but did you ever think your hurting Quinn by ignoring her?"

Brittany stayed silent and Sarah gave a half-smile, it wasn't her daughter's fault that they had spent two years holding a grudge against Quinn. What the blonde girl did was wrong and they had all been disappointed in her, but Sarah knew that two years of awkward silences and avoidance was just too much. She loved having the Rachel, Santana, and Brittany together but she really missed the group being four instead of three, it was almost wrong.

"I guess your right, but S isn't gonna like it." Brittany sighed as she felt her eyes flutter, the blues coming back into Sarah's view a second later. "Mommy, will you do the bad dreams thing?"

"Of course I will, baby." Sarah chuckled as she stood; turning to Brittany she made sure the teen was tucked in tight under the covers before running a hand over her face and smiling. "Bad dreams, bad dreams go away. Good dreams, good dreams here to stay."

With a single kiss on the teen's head, Sarah tip-toed out of the room and shut the door quietly behind her before leaning up against it. Brittany was now a sixteen-year-old, her precious daughter was growing up and Sarah just wanted to breathe in the moments when she felt like she was needed. It wasn't going to be long before Brittany was doing the bad dreams thing to her own children.

But for now, Brittany was Sarah's and that was all that mattered.

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><p>"You want us to do what?" Santana demanded with a frown as she dropped her juice box, leaning forward to look at her girlfriend in shock and horror but Brittany just smiled.<p>

"I want us to forgive Quinn, I talked to my mother and she says that we're being mean to her. Quinnie doesn't deserve us to be mean, we don't wanna be like her." Brittany reminded her friends, peeling her banana as she kept a close eye on her seething girlfriend. "Don't be mad at me, S, I'm just saying we should try it."

"I'm not mad at you, Britt." Santana sighed, leaning over and pressing a chaste kiss to the blonde's lips causing Brittany to smile as she finished peeling her banana and took a large bite. "I just don't know if forgiving her is the right idea. Rae, what do you say?"

Brittany swallowed her food and looked at her other brunette friend, Rachel had been quiet since the subject had been brought up but Brittany could see the wheels turning in her head. Brittany didn't know a lot of things, but one thing she did know was people…so, as Rachel sat staring at the table top with her fists clinched Brittany could see her friend was troubled.

"We don't have to do it, Rae-Rae; I just thought that maybe you'd want to see Quinnie again. I thought we'd be the old foursome again, the one that everyone feared." Brittany shrugged as she popped a goldfish into her mouth and frowned. "I didn't mean to make you sad; I just thought you'd like to know what I was thinking."

"No, Britt-Britt, you didn't make me sad at all." Rachel assured her, lifting her eyes to gaze into blue orbs and Brittany beamed as a bright smile crossed the pink, pouty lips of Rachel Berry. "I actually think your right, we should just let bygones be bygones and forgive Quinn."

Brittany's nose scrunched up as she focused her attention back on her lunch and allowed Rachel and Santana to talk, the tall blonde spared her girlfriend a glance and smiled for a moment. The dancer knew she had always had Santana wrapped around her finger, she knew just a single pout and the Latina would give her whatever she wanted. That's how she knew Santana loved her, as silly as it seemed, but Brittany knew it by the way Santana way held her and kissed her, it made her believe it was forever.

And Brittany knew she wasn't the brightest apple in the shed or however it went, but she knew she was pretty love smart. She loved her best friends more than anything; even though Rachel dressed really weird, Brittany always could past the scary animals that didn't blink on her sweater and she had even adjusted her ears so she could block out the brunette's long rants.

"Brittany, the bell rang are you accompanying us to class or not?"

Brittany glanced up to see Rachel and Santana staring at her with worry and amusement in their eyes and with a confused grin Brittany jumped up and wrapped her hand in Rachel's before lacing her pinkie with Santana and strutting towards the lunch room doors. They paused as they saw Quinn dumping her tray with Finn hovering behind her.

"Hiya Quinnie!" Brittany chirped in excitement and she frowned as Quinn's eyes snapped up and her jaw dropped.

"A-are you t-talking to me?" Quinn gulped and Brittany felt a wave of sadness wash over her as the smaller blonde stared back at them with envy, wonder, love, and hopefulness shining through; trading glances with her other girls she could see the two brunettes were silently conversing before they looked to Brittany and sent her a nod of acceptance.

"Yes Q, now close your mouth before the bugs fly in." Santana ordered with a playful smile.

Instantly the blonde did as she was told before her hazel eyes landed on Rachel, Brittany had to bite her lip to keep from squealing as Quinn and Rachel locked gazes and fireworks practically popped in the bubble that had silently came over them.

"Hi Rachel," Quinn whispered.

"Hi Quinn, I'll see you in glee. We should totally discuss doing a duet, after hearing you sing I believe our voices would really compliment each other. I mean, we'll have to work on your pitch because it was a little off but other than that we're good as gold."

With that, Rachel gave another smile and breezed out of the room dragging both Brittany and Santana with her. Brittany beamed to herself as she added an extra skip to her step; they were one step closer to being a foursome again. Things were going good; things were going to be alright.

Right?

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><p><strong>AN: I really don't like this chapter, I don't think I wrote it right but then again I really, for the life of me, can't write Brittany. But, we are one step closer to Faberry/Brittana interaction.**

**A/N 2: I totally stole the bad dreams thing from Grey's Anatomy, so I'm just saying that's not mine. Any who, next up we're going to have Shelby/Rachel and Judy/Quinn so yea!**


	5. I'm Sorry

My stories are going to be put on the back-burner right now, I just lost my sister and I just don't have the motivation to write anymore. I'll pick back up on updates in a few weeks, maybe after the funeral and stuff…I'm sorry guys.

*TieMeDownToYourSoul


	6. Flashbacks and Shopping

**T****wo years ago…**

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><p>Shelby Corcoran prided herself on being very organized and very level-headed, she never let herself worry too much and she always had a plan that could easily be set into motion. She had always been a calm person, she knew that any slight scowl could leave wrinkles and that was something to woman was not going for. But now, as she rushed into the Berry household, she couldn't help but scowl as she replayed the sound of Hiram and Leroy's frantic voices over the phone. All she could make out from them was that Rachel was sobbing and throwing things at the door, Leroy had even mentioned something about her shredding a bunch of her playbills. The brunette woman had gone ten over the speed limit racing to her daughter's aid, knowing that Rachel needed her to be there to comfort her and wrap her in a tight embrace that only a mother could provide, that only a mother could offer up to a teenage girl.<p>

Pulling into the Berry's driveway, the woman threw her SUV into park before leaping from the car and scrambling to enter the household and as she walked into it, she froze at the tension she could feel settling in the air around them. The loud music made Shelby cringe as she raced up the stairs and looked around before spotting Leroy and Hiram sitting against the wall staring at Rachel's door with tears running down their faces and quickly the brunette woman rushed forward and looked down at them with worry and fear shining through her normally composed brown orbs. The thought of something happening to her daughter chilled her to her very core, the thought of losing Rachel made her feel as if the world was caving in; she could tell from the music that Rachel was anything but okay at the moment.

"What the hell is going on? You called me from work and I demand to know what is going on with my teenage daughter, this is not a normal tantrum. Why is she playing this awful music?" Shelby yelled, her eyebrows furrowing before she jumped lightly at the familiar sound of shattering glass and quickly she turned to her daughter's door and slammed her opened palm against it; she needed to see her daughter, she needed to make sure the tiny brunette was okay and was still breathing. "Rachel Barbra Berry, you open this door right now! I'm not going to allow you to destroy things in this household! That is not how it works, you don't need to be throwing a temper tantrum and destroy a house all in one. You open this door!"

"Go to hell!"

Shelby's eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at the men behind her, Leroy simply shook his head and pulled his knees up to his chest while Hiram ran a hand over his face in disbelief. This was not the little girl they had known for thirteen years, they had never once suffered through these kinds of tantrums with Rachel. Sure, there were storm outs and stomping feet but the destruction of property was too just way too dramatic…even for Rachel. The men hadn't known what to do after she had come through the doorway like someone had lit her ass on fire, her brown eyes full of tears as she threw her backpack to the side and ripped her jacket off before hurrying up the stairs and slamming her door. Leroy had approached her first, attempting to enter her room only to find the door locked and the sound of shattering glass brought Hiram up and after thirty minutes of unsuccessfully attempting to coax her out of her funk the men had decided to call in the next best thing, Rachel's mother.

"I don't know what happened, she came home in tears and covered in slushie juice, we have never seen her like this. We tried talking to her and she just kept on throwing things and screaming, something bad happened and she won't tell us what. I can see it in her eyes, Shelby, this isn't just a PMS fit." Leroy muttered as he shook his head and Shelby watched his chin quivered before he bowed his head again; the brunette woman couldn't help but roll her eyes, of course the men would want to blame this fit on PMS, it was such a typical guy thing to do and she couldn't believe they were actually using it now. "Hiram tried to talk to her and she threw something at the door, when we tried to talk she threw something at the door and told us to go to hell."

On the other side of the door a thirteen-year-old Rachel Berry had shattered every single glass object she could get her hands on; first her picture frames that encased memories of her best friends, then her snow globe collection, and finally the little glass awards of every dance and singing show she had ever graced the stage in. She wanted it to be broken, just like her, she wanted to see it shatter much like her heart was doing right now. In her chest, her heart was broken into a million pieces as she through about the look on Quinn's face as she had ended their ten year friendship.

Anger radiated off her body and tears streaked down her tan cheeks as she curled her fists and screamed again, kicking at a pillow that had fallen off her bed during her fit. Her feet burned as she stomped all over the glass and paced the length of her room, ignoring the angry knocking that was ricocheting off her walls and hitting her in the ears. She didn't want to see her parents right now, the second she opened that door she was going to be faced with reality. The one person who had been there for her, who had been her best friend, had betrayed her for popularity. Quinn had promised to never abandon Rachel, they had made a pact that they would stick together no matter what took place in high school…and all of that was a lie. All the things Rachel had believed in was ripped away from her by one cold slushie, and as much as that burned, Quinn's words hurt worse; the blonde tore at her and threw every piece of her heart away.

The brunette spun around and stared at the one remaining picture frame; inside was a picture of her and Quinn from a trip they had taken to California, the blonde was laughing with Rachel settled in her lap and the brunette was staring down at her with a proud expression. With a frown, Rachel picked it up and held it close before squeezing her eyes shut. She wanted to keep it, to hang onto the last good thing she had of Quinn but staring at the blonde looking so happy made her throat clog with tears. She couldn't understand why Quinn had done this, she couldn't understand what she had done so wrong and what she had done to push the blonde so far away. The cold look in her best friend's eyes today had confused her, had thrown her through a loop that left her dizzy beyond belief, she couldn't understand why those hazel eyes she loved so much was clouded with so much anger.

"How could you do this to me? How could you lie to me? You were supposed to be it for me, Quinn. You were supposed to be the person to reach me in and pull me from the darkness, but instead you just pushed me farther into it. How could you after all we've been through? I needed you and you left me, how could you do that?" Rachel whispered before she fluttered her eyes back open and reared her arm back, she smiled in satisfaction as the frame hit the far wall and shattered into small pieces, the photo fluttering to the ground in the middle of a glass pile; her brown eyes teared up as she looked at the picture, looked at the memory she longed so much to go back and relieve because back then everything had made sense. "I'm done with you Quinn Fabray, you won't be able to affect me anymore. I'm done with it all."

"Rachel, what was that?"

The brunette squeezed her eyes shut when she heard her mother's frantic voice, she knew she couldn't keep shutting everyone out. With another frown, the diva slowly made her walk over to the door and flicked the lock before yanking it open and staring at Shelby with a heaving chest while her brunette curls hung loose around her face and she stared back at the face that looked so much like her own; there was no denying that Shelby was her mother, from the dimples to the diva personality, Rachel Berry was a mini version of Shelby Corcoran. But now, staring into her mother's worried eyes she felt as if everything was coming down on her much like that slushie had. She felt the cold chill rushing over, the way the juice had melted into her shirt before burning at her eyes, hotter than the tears that gathered close behind them. She remembered the rejection she had felt as she raced down the hallway, seeking shelter from the laughter that bombarded her eardrums.

"What do you want?" Rachel croaked out, she wanted to sound strong but she was so tired and she didn't think she could hide it anymore, she had worked so hard at it but staring into eyes that matched her own she felt as if she had a chance to express how she really felt; Shelby always made it better, Shelby always made her feel like it was okay and that she could breathe easier.

Shelby stared in dismay at the room before her, Rachel had destroyed everything that had once adorned her walls and her eyes widened in panic at the blood smears that were streaked across random spots of the hardwood floor. Glancing down, Shelby bit her lip when she noticed the damage that was now covering Rachel's tiny feet. There were blood soaking through the toes and her heart went to her throat as she cupped a hand over her mouth and tried to hold back a sob that was threatening to fall from her throat; her baby girl was hurt and she didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to fix this one, she had always been able to wipe away Rachel's tears and soothe her fears but she was completely dumbfounded on ways that could possibly make the teenage girl feel better about everything she was going through.

"Oh honey, what did you do? What did you do to all your picture frames? And all your awards? You looked so hard for those, sweetheart." Shelby whimpered before she stepped forward and as Rachel's fathers went to follow the teenager slammed the door and locked it behind Shelby causing the brunette woman to jump lightly before turning to face her daughter who was running her hands through her hair; she could tell that Rachel was distressed, she could see it shining clearly through the chocolate orbs that matched her own and for a moment she wondered exactly what had put her daughter in this state but she figured the only way she could figure that out was simply asking the girl. "Rachel, baby, what is wrong with you? What did you do to your room?"

"It hurts, Mama. It hurts so bad and it burns, I feel like I'm drowning and I can't fight the waves and its just all coming down on me and I…can't understand why this is happening. " Rachel whispered as she felt her legs go weak before she found herself sinking to her knees, her palms resting against the caps as she bowed her head and sobbed; she felt everything come down on her and she just couldn't keep it in anymore, she had to let it go because she feared that if she didn't it would eventually consume her every thought. "She lied to me, she slushied me in front of the whole school and then had the nerve to get mad at me. I just lost my best friend. How could she do this to me? How could she make so many promises and then break them? What did I do wrong?"

Shelby was confused beyond belief as she crouched beside her child and rested a hand on Rachel's back, giving it a soft rub as she tried to sooth the loud sobs that was causing Rachel's small body to shake with a strong force. Never had the little diva appear so broken, the brunette had her share of screaming and stomping but never had she hit her knees and cried. Her daughter had always been strong and steady, never one to give up but she could see all the fight had long ago left her little diva and for that she felt her own heart breaking in her chest. The woman pulled her lower lip into her mouth as she attempted to comfort the child, attempting to bring some peace of mind to the little girl but instead the sobs she just came harder and the mother breathed out heavily before gathering herself together.

"Oh why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes, come on and come to me now. Don't be ashamed to cry, let me see you through cause I've seen the dark side too. When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do, nothing you confess could make me love you less." Shelby sang softly as she gathered Rachel into her arms and forced the song bird to curl into her lap as the mother ran her fingers through long chocolate locks, rocking the frail body and soothing it into silent little whimpers that made her eyes close as she fought back the urge to cry along with the thirteen-year-old breaking in her embrace. "I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you."

Rachel squeezed her eyes shut and curled the material of her mother's shirt into her fists, she was clinging to the only thing that seemed to be holding her down. She knew that her tantrum today was a little over the top, but it was an instant reaction to losing the one person who always promised to be the one that stood by you. The tiny brunette couldn't understand how Quinn could do this, the blonde had always been the one to hold their group together. Quinn had been the strength and had kept Rachel and Santana from clawing each other's eyes out at times but now…Rachel didn't even want to think about what was going to happen now that Quinn was gone. And she had taken Santana and Brittany too, deep down inside Rachel knew that there was no way her ditzy and Latina best friends would choose her over popularity. It burned her deep down and she furrowed her brow and tried to erase the pain and anger that was building its way up her throat.

"Rachel?"

Shelby reared her head back as Rachel's neck snapped up and her brown orbs went to the doorway where soft knocks and calls of her name was heard. With a loud sob, the teenager scrambled away from Shelby and tore the door open to see Santana and Brittany standing there with concern and tears built up in both sets of eyes as they stared straight at her. Something inside of the brunette snapped as she saw them staring at her with worry in their eyes, and for a moment she sought out Quinn and her heart crumpled a little more when she realized that the blonde Cheerio hadn't showed up with them.

"W-what are you doing here?" Rachel sniffled.

Santana and Brittany didn't say anything but instead gathered their tiny friend into their arms and squeezed her between them, the brunette burying her face in Brittany's neck while her hands went down to rest on Santana's that were pressed against her stomach. Relief and happiness flooded through her as the two held her tighter and whispered soothing words in her ears. She had her best friends with her, two of them, but she could feel the warm tears from Brittany's eyes fall upon her shoulders causing her to wince as her own tears built up and slowly made their way down her face. The girl whimpered as Santana pressed her hands harder against the diva's stomach, offering her comfort as she attempted to hold back the tears that were burning hard against the back of her eyes, but she knew that she had to be the strength in the trio now.

"Okay, enough is enough. I want you girls to tell me what the hell is going on! No beating around the bushes either, I want the straight truth from all three of you." Shelby ordered as she stood quickly and stared at the embraced trio with a furrowed brow, she couldn't understand why Rachel had been so quick to cling to the girls the second they had shown up at the house. "I hauled _ass _here from Carmel because Leroy and Hiram said Rachel was on a rampage and she wouldn't come out of her room and I get here to find my baby bleeding because of all the glass she's destroyed and then stomped all over! And finally, you two show up and she's clutching you guys like you're her saviors, I want to know what happened and I want to know now."

Santana automatically stepped forward, she had always been the voice of the group and she was the only one who seemed to be able to face Shelby when the brunette woman was angry. Quickly, the Latina squared her shoulders and approached Rachel's mother with a furrowed brow; she didn't need Shelby freaking out because that would only send Rachel spiraling and it was obvious that their brunette diva was teetering on the edge. The moment that slushie had fallen upon Rachel, Santana knew that their lives would never be the same again. Everything was going to change and Quinn was no longer a part of Santana's heart, the blonde had managed to push herself so far away that the Latina knew it would be near impossible for the Cheerio to find her way back.

"Today the Cheerio's captain approached Quinn and ordered her to give Rachel a slushie facial and Quinn decided that popularity came before our best friend of ten years and went ahead and doused Rachel with the whole damn cup. Everyone was standing there watching as Quinn slushied her best friend, everyone was there to watch Rachel fall apart. She had the nerve to just throw a cold beverage all over the girl we've called our best friend for over teen years." Santana snarled, ignoring the shocked gasps that sounded from the adults that surrounded her. "And if that wasn't bad enough she then tried to defend herself by saying that her popularity was important…more important then Rachel. She stood in front of Rae and basically called her a loser."

"And I take it you two are still on the cheer squad?" Leroy asked softly.

"Hell no! We couldn't possibly just bail on Rae like that." Brittany snapped causing everyone's eyes to widen at the anger that laced her normal soothing and soft tone; the ditzy blonde was normally the one who soothed Santana and her fits, but at the moment it seemed that Brittany was more fired up then her Latina counterpart and they all stared at the girl waiting for her to give her side of the story. "San and I turned in our uniforms, as much as I love to dance I'm not going to throw away ten years of friendship because of that. Quinn will have to deal with her choices, I wanna join glee club because I think we can actually be ourselves there. Right, Rachel?"

"I don't know, I really don't care anymore. I just don't have the _want _to care anymore." Rachel admitted as she pulled away from Brittany, the brunette crossed her arms over her chest and made the short walk to her bed before lowering herself upon the mattress with a heartbroken expression; her heart was literally shattered in her chest, her own best friend and the girl she loved had dumped a cup of flavored ice upon her head just so she could call herself cool and fit in and that hurt worse than anything that she had ever endured when it came to bullying. "How could she just do that to me? She said that she'd never do anything to hurt me, she's supposed to be the person to protect me. She said that I was the Brittany and she was my Santana, she was supposed to be the one person who never hurt me yet she's the one who hurt me the most. It was so embarrassing."

"I don't know what kinda stick is up her ass, Rae, but I promise you Britt and I are going to be there for you through all of this. We aren't going to walk out on you or try and be popular by pouring a flavored beverage over your head, we love you too much to ever do that. " Santana assured the teen, walking forward with Brittany at her heels as the two looked at the tiny girl who sat on her bed staring down at the floor in such a defeated way. "I know that Q made a lot of promises and I know that Britt and I can't take the place in your heart that she had, but we're going to be there to wipe away your tears and we're going to be there to defend you. I get that your angry, but don't push us away because of that bitch."

"I'm sorry I reacted so badly, I was just really hurt. I couldn't understand why everything happened the way it did, why she would actually seek out a way that would scar me so badly." Rachel confessed as she heaved another long sigh before dragging a hand through her hair, looking around her room she realized how much damage she had severely caused, she swallowed around the lump in her throat before glancing to her fathers who were already attempting to straighten up the shattered remains of the girl's bedroom, which seemed to be a weak effort as they glanced around at all the broken glass that littered the floor. "I'll clean up my room, I didn't mean for it to get so bad. I was just so…angry."

"It's okay, baby girl, we understand. Just please don't ever do this again, next time try and talk to us and if that's not enough then call your mother. We're your parents, we're here to listen to you and help you through all of this but you have to give us the chance to actually work through it with you. I know what Quinn did was wrong, but you could've talked to us. We would have been able to comfort you." Hiram pleaded as he stepped into the room fully, accessing the damage and cringing when he noticed the blood that seemed to linger on some of the glass that was scattered across the floor; everything his daughter worked for seemed to be laying on the floor broken into little pieces, he supposed her heart was part of that damage on the ground.

"Okay," Rachel nodded.

Shelby was silent as she stood in the middle of the room fuming, she couldn't believe Quinn would even think slushing her daughter was okay. With a shake of her head, Shelby pulled her phone out of her purse and glanced to see a text message from Judy and opening it up she cringed and turned to face the girls sitting on Rachel's bed and watched them for a moment before swallowing hard and seeing the way Brittany tried in vain to comfort her distraught daughter who seemed more focused on her hands than anything else around her, "Judy texted me and told me that Quinn told her everything and that she's sorry. Judy also said that Quinn is refusing to come out of her room and she's been crying since the second she got home."

"Good for her," Santana snorted as she rolled her eyes.

"Santana, don't you think you should give her another chance?" Shelby asked gently and the Latina shot her a look of disbelief causing the choir teacher to hold up a hand to silence the protests that were bound to leave the spitfires mouth; she knew that her daughter was hurt and it burned her to think of Rachel being humiliated in the middle of the hallway, but she also knew it would make the brunette worse if Quinn wasn't a part of her life. "Quinn made a mistake, but you all three know how much she loves you. You said you can't believe she's throwing away a ten year friendship, but so are you by not letting her have one more chance. You could fix this if you just forgive her."

"No, no way." Rachel objected with a frown as she bit her lower lip and leaned against Brittany with a sound frown upon her face, looking up Santana for a moment. "I'm not giving her another chance to break my heart, I'm through with her."

**Present Time**

"Mom, please, I'll do anything you want! Just don't make me go!" Rachel pleaded as she chased her mother throughout the house, Shelby chuckling as she glanced over her shoulder to see her daughter staring at her with wide eyes; she knew the brunette would have this reaction but she also knew it was time for things to start getting back to normal. "I'll clean my room, I'll mow the lawn, I'll do the dishes after dinner, I'll do my homework when you say to…I'll stop making MySpace videos!"

"Rachel Barbara Berry, this isn't up for discussion, Judy and I discussed this at length and we made plans that I don't intend to break, that would be rude of me anyway because she's one of my best friends. All I'm asking is that you accompany me so we can at least find you a dress for your cousin's wedding next month. Also act like an adult because you know that Quinn will be there." Shelby sighed as she finally paused at the kitchen archway, leaning against it as Rachel halted in front of her with an adorable pout on her face, her brow furrowing in an expression that Shelby knew matched her own. "It isn't going to be that bad, sweetheart. It'll be fun, I promise."

"She doesn't like me, Mom, just because we're talking to her a little bit now that doesn't mean that we can suddenly start doing all the things we did when we were kids." Rachel murmured as she crossed her arms over her chest, pouting her lower lip as she thought about the girl who managed to make her heart feel like it was flying before purposely causing it to crash, the thought of facing Quinn without Brittany or Santana was almost unbearable. "We can't go back to what we had before, everything back then feels like it was a lie anyway. She stomped all over me, she just took everything we could've had and pushed it to the side. How could you think I want to face her after that?"

"Honey, I know how much it hurt you to lose Quinn as a friend and I know that you miss her. I can see it in your very beautiful brown eyes, I know you better than you think." Shelby grinned as she cupped Rachel's cheeks in her hands, giving her daughter a soft smile as she gazed into said eyes and watched them shift nervously around before locking back upon her mother as the sixteen-year-old pouted adorable. "I love you so much, Rachel, and all I want is for you to be happy. I can see how badly it kills you to not have Quinn around, you may have Santana and Brittany but you don't feel for them what you've always felt for Quinn. She has always had a special place in your heart and…"

"She _broke _my heart, Mom." Rachel cut in as she pulled away from the older brunette and turned her head, trying to keep her face of weakness away from her mother's eyes; she didn't want her own mother to see how heartbroken she was, even after two years of not having Quinn in her life; she knew she should've been over Quinn by now, but seeing the blonde made her heart speed up and she figured it always would. "I gave her my heart and she shattered it into little pieces. It's just been Santana, Britt, and I for two years and I'm just now adjusting to it. Having Quinn back in our lives like before will never happen, it will never be able to be like it was before our freshman year. That's gone."

"Never say never, darling. The one thing I taught you in life is that you should never give up on what you believe you can't have, this will work itself out in good time. You and the girls decided to make amends, this is a big step to that." Shelby sighed as she leaned forward, pressing her lips to Rachel's head before hugging her teenager to her chest; she could feel the stiffness in her daughter's hold but she knew that Rachel needed all the comfort she could get right now. "Now, go get ready because I promised Judy we'd have lunch with her and Quinn."

Shelby squeezed her daughter once more before leaving the room and once she was gone Rachel groaned and ran a hand over her face before turning on her heels and running up the stairs. The brunette didn't want to go, she didn't want to have to face Quinn alone. She knew that once simple glance into those hazel eyes and she'd be a goner, Quinn Fabray had her wrapped around her finger…she'd _always _have Rachel wrapped around her finger. The brunette frowned as she shot a quick text off to Santana, warning her about the outing she was going to be attending and the Latina didn't fail in making her laugh as she responded with a crude text about how if Quinn tried anything she'd break her fingers and then proceed to make her life a living hell.

The small diva frowned before setting to work on finding an outfit, with a small sigh she began flickering her fingers over the multiple skirts hanging up in her closet, she really did need a wardrobe change. Quinn had always liked her skirts, every since they were little the blonde had always admired the outfits the brunette wore and Rachel had always loved the blonde's neatly pressed jeans and cute little tank tops. As the brunette shoved the skirts to the side a single one dropped from there hanger and Rachel frowned before crouching down to retrieve it and as she felt the material of the blue and yellow argyle skirt she fisted it for a moment and closed her eyes tightly.

**Flashback**

"Tomorrow is gonna be our day, Rach. We're going to take McKinley high by storm and no one is gonna know what hit them. We are going to be the fab four once more." Quinn gushed as she glanced back at her best friend, Rachel returning the beam that had taken over the taller girl's face as she saw the excitement lighting up the eyes that belonged to her friend as the blonde bounced around the room and eagerly clapped her hands together and thought about the prospect of once again ruling another school year with her three best friends at her side. "You, me, San, and Britt…think about it. We ruled elementary and middle school, high school will be a breeze and no one will dare cross us."

"It will be a breeze for you, Quinn, but I'm not going to be a Cheerio. I can't do what you, San, and Britt do. All I'm good at is singing, you guys can dance." Rachel reminded her friend, she was sitting on the end of the blonde's bed and was nervously wringing her hands together as she chewed at her lower lip and thought about all the changes that would taking place over the course of the next four years of her life; she feared she was going to lose her three best friends, she was afraid that the idea of popularity would sweep the three away from her. "I'm nervous, you will have the Cheerios to protect you but I'm just gonna have me. I don't think this year will be anything like last year."

"Hey, you'll have me, Britt, and San with you and that's all that will matter. Just because we're going into high school doesn't mean we're throwing away the last ten years of our lives together, we have seen each other through everything. High school isn't going to be any different. I don't care if your not a cheerleader, your still my ray of sunshine and that's all that matters to me." Quinn assured the diva, dropping the t-shirt she had been folding so she could gather the brunette into her arms and hugged her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head in order to comfort the diva who was freaking out. "I promise, Rae, I'll never let anything happen to you."

And when Rachel turned to say something to Quinn she was met by a pair of soft lips on her own, instantly the brunette could feel the popping of fireworks and her toes and fingers began to sting as she pressed her own lips back against the blonde's, allowing them to softly meld together in the perfect form of an unbelievable perfection. Suddenly, Quinn jerked back and jumped off the bed with a hand cupped over her mouth in shock as she stared at her best friend who looked at her with a dropped jaw and a cock of her head; the small brunette diva wasn't sure what she was feeling, but her body had somehow erupted in tingles and her fingers felt as if they were on fire. Quinn Fabray, her best friend, had just kissed her…the blonde had just sent fireworks off in her heart.

"Oh God, Rae, I'm so sorry!" Quinn exclaimed as she held her hands up in surrender, her body feeling heavy as she watched the way her best friend simply stared back at her with a dazed expression in her eyes, the blonde figured she was trying to figure out how to form some type of words to kick Quinn out of the room for kissing her. "I wasn't thinking, it was just one of the spur of the moments thing. I was thinking about comforting you and then it just…happened."

"Wh-what? Why are you apologizing? How could you apologize for _that_?" Rachel demanded as she leaped up herself and hurried to stand in front of her best friend, Quinn only stumbling backwards as she crashed into her desk and braced her hands upon it while staring right into the brunette's eyes as she tried to swallow the desire that had been building up inside of her as she saw the way Rachel's lips were still wet from their embrace; she wanted the brunette more than anything in the world, she wanted the brunette to hold close to her but she couldn't believe her best friend wasn't freaking out over what she had just done to her. "Quinnie, you don't have to apologize, it's okay."

"I just _molested _you on my bed, Rae! I freaking kissed you without even bothering to ask for permission, I think I might be turning into Noah Puckerman." Quinn exclaimed as she gapped openly, but Rachel only giggled causing her blonde counterpart to furrow her brow in confusion before she frowned and watched her best friend for a moment; the brunette had always been weird but she was giggling after Quinn had basically forced herself upon her, she didn't find anything about that funny but there stood the giggling diva. "Are you laughing at me? I just basically jumped you and now your giggling like a manic! Your nuts, Berry, completely and totally bonkers."

"I'm giggling because you think you did something wrong, Quinn. It's funny that you think I would be angry or disgusting with you. I have two gay dads after all, its no big deal and Brittany and Santana totally have something going on." Rachel explained as she finally stopped her laughter to stare at her friend who cocked her head to the side in puzzlement, she couldn't grasp that Rachel wasn't disgusted or angry with her for kissing her like that. "I liked the kiss, I've wanted you to kiss me for a long time now. I'm glad you kissed me. I know that tomorrow is a big day for us and that we aren't going to do it again, but I'm glad it finally happened."

"You are?" Quinn swallowed as she watched the brunette for a long moment; she had been craving a kiss from Rachel for two years, every time she looked at her best friend she had a desire to simply slam their mouths together and never let go.

Rachel nodded shyly and hung her head for a moment before crossing her hands in front of her and once again she was caught guard as Quinn closed the space in between them and grabbed a hold of the brunette's face so she could tilt it up and slam their lips back together. Instantly, Rachel sunk into the embrace and released a sound that, for some reason, made Quinn shiver against her as the blonde pulled her as close as humanly possible. A wet feeling ran across her lower lip and Rachel opened her mouth curiously, her eyes popping open as Quinn's tongue glided smoothly into her own and ran across the foreign territory. Her eyes fluttered again as she melted into the kiss and felt the blonde's hand running over her hips, to her lower back before settling firmly on her butt.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray!" Rachel squealed as she pulled away and panted, her eyes feeling heavy as she stared at Quinn and she gasped lightly when she noticed her friend's eyes were no longer a warm hazel but a dark shade of black. "What do you think your doing touching my butt like that? Do you really believe that is an appropriate way to treat a lady? I am flabbergasted at your actions, Quinn. What in the world would make you do that?"

"I told you, Rae, I _really _like your skirts…" Quinn panted.

**End of Flashback **

"Rachel, let's go!" Shelby called from downstairs and the brunette jumped lightly before wincing as she smacked her head on the doorframe and she rubbed it before scowling at the door as if Shelby could actually see her; the brunette frowned slightly as she mumbled to herself before standing and looking around her room, swallowing hard around the lump in her throat that grew at the thought of being around Quinn for longer than necessary.

"Coming Mom, just give a sec." Rachel replied as she stood, rubbing her head and staring at the skirt still clutched in her fist and with a sigh the girl removed her pajama pants and slid the skirt on before throwing on a matching t-shirt and grabbing her purse and flats before running out the door; her mother was waiting in the Range Rover and she stared it for a long moment, this was it, this was going to be her test with how things with Quinn felt.

* * *

><p>"Rachel Berry?"<p>

"Yes, Quinn, I said Rachel Berry."

"We're going shopping with Rachel Berry?"

"Yes, Quinnie, shopping and you are going to go and behave. I expect you to you treat both Shelby and Rachel with respect and I better not here you being rude to Rachel. I practically had to beg Shelby to agree to this and the only reason she did was because Rachel needs a dress for her cousin's wedding." Judy scoffed as she walked through the doors of the Lima Mall, Quinn at her heels and she could sense her daughter feeling frantic as she wrung her hands and looked down at the tiles they were walking along with a paled face. "I know you and Rachel have had your differences but she deserves your kindness and you will show it."

"I made a mistake back in our freshman year, Mom, and I'm paying for it." Quinn murmured as she hung her head and fell into step beside her mother; she knew what she had done and every night she laid in bed and prayed that her best friends would somehow approach her and find it in their hearts to forgive her for her mistakes, and now she wondered if God was truly going to let those prayers come true. "I lost my best friends and the girl I love all in one day, I'm not upset that we're going today I'm just worried that she's going to take one look at me and run away in fear."

"Are you packing any slushies?" Judy joked and when she caught Quinn's horrified expression she chuckled before shaking her head; she knew exactly how the blonde felt about Rachel Berry and her and Russell had accepted it a long time ago, they had been a little shocked at first but eventually had accepted the fact that their daughter was different, they weren't going to shun her for falling in love with someone who was obviously made for her. "I'm kidding, honey. But you do need to understand where Rachel is coming from, you two have spent two years apart after having a ten year friendship. It's going to be hard for her to just let you walk back into her life."

"Believe me, Mom, I'm not walking. I'm crawling." Quinn complained as she furrowed her brow in a scowl before her face suddenly brightened at the sight standing a few feet away.

There in all her glory was the girl that obtained every thought that had been in Quinn's mind for the last two years. Rachel Berry stood with her mother, Shelby's arm draped over her daughter's shoulder as they glanced up at the vegan menu choices and the blonde could tell from their expressions that they were obviously arguing and she smiled as she remembered the multiple arguments Santana and Rachel had gotten into over the brunette being vegan; Santana had never really liked the choice, she had always said she was afraid Rachel was too skinny. The Latina was like a mother hen to their little foursome, always attempting to get Rachel to drop the vegan act but never succeeding. The vegan thing had started after Brittany had taken them to what she thought was petting zoo but turned out to be a slaughter house and Rachel had witnessed a chicken getting its head cut off.

"…baby animals, Mom!"

"Ahh, still lecturing others about the benefits of being vegan, Rachel?" Judy laughed and the tiny brunette turned to the blonde woman and squealed lightly before practically leaping into the blonde woman's arms and hugging her tight; Judy had always looked at Rachel and the other girls as her extended daughters, so two years of being away from them was harder than she ever thought it would be so she squeezed the little brunette tighter to her and pressed a loving kiss to the top of her head before smiling. "I missed you too, Rachel, the house just hasn't been the same without you. Even Russell mentioned something about it the other night, no singing or arguing."

"My apologies, Ms. Fabray, San and Britt have now taken to obtaining my household…especially when my father cooks dinner for the three of us. They like to spend all their free time using my house for things they shouldn't, but sometimes we got to Mami Lopez or Mama Pierce and they cook their amazing dinners for us too. Mami Lopez just made salsa for us the other day, it was to die for." Rachel smiled, pulling away from Judy and Quinn's breathe caught in the throat when brown eyes landed on her and tan cheeks became a light tinge of pink; the brown eyes fluttered over Quinn once, taking in the blonde for a moment before swallowing hard around the lump in her throat. "Hello, Quinn, how are you?"

"You look pretty," The words tumbled out of her lips before she could stop them and inwardly Quinn face palmed before she took in a deep breathe and gave the brunette a soft smile before shifting nervously on the balls of her feet as she attempted to fight the blush that was clawing its way up her cheeks before she whimpered slightly. "I mean, I'm good. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, Santana and Brittany told me to send you their hellos." Rachel replied as she gave the Cheerio a curt nod before turning to Shelby and tugging on her mother's sleeve so they could at least get something to eat and Quinn bit her lip before glancing up at her mother who quirked a brow before lacing their arms together and tugging them to follow the brunette duo.

For the next three hours Quinn trailed Rachel and Shelby and tried to keep her eyes on the ground, but she found it hard to do when Rachel came out of each dressing room twirling around in an outfit that was anything but appropriate. First it started with dresses and then slowly shifted to skirts and each time Quinn would have to cross her legs as she swallowed her urge to practically throw Rachel to the ground of the dressing room and have her way with her. Judy and Shelby had thought it was a good idea to the leave the girls behind in one of the stores and now Rachel was spinning around in a cheery red dress with an excited glint to her eyes, Quinn just openly gapped as she felt her tongue swell in her mouth before she swallowed hard and gave a squeak that caused Rachel's brown eyes to fall upon her. Their eyes locked and Rachel pulled a side smirk, Quinn simply twisting her mouth to match as she stood from her seat and wondered over to the singer.

"You look absolutely stunning, that dress is very lucky to have you." Quinn whispered as she boldly reached out to sweep a strand of the smaller girl's curls behind her ear, her hand curving around Rachel's cheek as she ran her thumb across it before grinning at the smaller girl. "You've always been beautiful though, so I guess it wouldn't matter what you put on, huh?"

"Still quite the charmer, Ms. Fabray." Rachel giggled as she pulled away from Quinn before disappearing into the changing room stall; the girl struggled to get the zipper from behind and she stared at herself in the mirror before realizing she had no other chose but to ask Quinn for help, so sticking her head out slightly she locked eyes with hazel orbs and gave a sheepish grin. "I seem to be stuck in this dress, do you mind helping me out?"

Quinn dumbly nodded as she stumbled into the dressing room and closed the door, her eyes finding Rachel's back as the brunette stood before her with her head tilted slightly so she could keep her eyes on the blonde who reached out with shaking limbs to clasp the zipper, slowly drawing it down and reviling more and more teasing tanned skin that left her feeling restless as she swayed on her feet before glancing up to lock eyes with Rachel in the mirror. Her throat had swelled remarkably as she felt her body freeze up at the sight of Rachel's eyes staring back at her with nothing but wonder in them, it was so different from the usual coldness she had been given over the last few years. The blonde frowned and breathed out a long puff of air before drawing herself away, her hands shaking as they fell to her sides.

"I'm glad you came, Quinn. I know that we're not exactly back to how we were, but I'm glad that we're mature enough to handle a simple outing with our mothers. I know my mother has been waiting for this day and she has been biting her tongue in attempt not to set it up sooner but she knew I needed time." Rachel whispered shyly as she held the material to her chest before smiling lightly at Quinn who nodded slightly and bit her lower lip in an attempt to keep from pouncing upon the brunette before her. "I think it meant a lot to Shelby and Judy that we did this, Santana and Britt didn't even want me to go but I'm glad I did. We should do it again sometime."

"Look, Rachel, I'm sorry for what I did. I was stupid and selfish and I want so badly for you to forgive me, I want our old friendship back because I miss you…all the time. I know that a day of shopping together won't magically solve all of this, but I really hope you don't shut me out again." Quinn replied as she squeezed Rachel's shoulder once before grinning at her and watching as the brunette hesitantly returned the smile before ducking her head down nervously. "I hope we can at least get back to being somewhat close, I miss being Rachel and Quinn. I miss having our long talks and walks, I miss watching Funny Girl with you and drying your tears after it was over, and I just miss laughing with you."

"You made a mistake, Quinn. I forgive you for that and I want you to know that our friendship will eventually find its way back to the normality as it was. Someday we might be able to call a truce and just simply work things out." Rachel sighed as she turned to face the Cheerio, staring up into her hazel eyes as Quinn swallowed hard and gave a short jerk of her head. "As for San and Britt, that's gonna take some time and you know that Santana is hard-headed so I encourage you to start groveling now."

"Whatever you say, Rae-Rae."

"Yeah, I'll meet you outside." Rachel murmured.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know this isn't much, but right now this is setting up a platform for what's about to happen. I apologize for any mistakes, I'm still looking for a beta so if anyone is interested. Anyway, reviews are like candy and everybody needs a little candy once in a while, right? **

**See you next time!**


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